Remember Me?
by WinterSoldier'sHell
Summary: The date is March 27, 1993. "Bucky? Is that you?" ReaderxBucky


_You just finished seeing the great Howard Stark in his new exhibit. Bucky is going to take you and your friend, Clare, dancing. It was supposed to be a double date; you were supposed to be with Bucky, and Clare was supposed to be with Steve. But the other man ran off to try to get recruited again, so it left just the three of you. At least he kept his promise of dancing._

_You follow Clare into the bathroom to freshen up makeup and make sure your h/c hair is still neat. You wait for your friend before exiting the bathroom, where Bucky was leaning against some fencing. He put his arms around both of you and carried you off to the party._

_Bucky danced with Clare first and you walked over to get some punch. A young man in uniform came over and asked for a dance, which you politely accepted. It may be his last one, after all. He said his name was Dean, and you responded with yours. You made small talk while he twirled you around. You were beginning to enjoy his company when a throat cleared from behind both of you. Dean turns and meets the annoyed expression of James "Bucky" Barnes._

"_Excuse me, pal, but can I dance with my girl now?" Bucky asked, with a hint of possession creeping into his voice. _

_Dean chuckled. "Well I don't see how she's your girl when she was sitting all by herself, while you were dancing with the other one." He points to Clare, who was chatting with the other girls at the party. _

_Bucky's hands clench into fists, and you quickly step in. "Hey, um, how about I dance with Dean for one more song, and then I go and dance with you?" You quickly suggest. Bucky growls and pulls you to the side._

"_I'm supposed to be your date, remember? Why are you being nice to him?" He speaks in a low voice close to your ear, causing you to shiver._

_You smirk. "Sergeant Barnes, are you jealous?" You giggle at his eye roll. "Anyways, it's his last day before he leaves. He should enjoy it."_

"_It's my last day as well."_

_You freeze. You forgot. He was leaving tomorrow._

"_Well, I can't just leave him by himself." You stumble over your words, feeling lost. Bucky touches your shoulder and says he'll take care of it. He strolls back over to Dean and whispers something in his ear. Dean nods and heads over to where Clare is standing._

_Bucky turns to you. "Now, can I have that dance?"_

You wake up to a familiar hospital bed. It's always that dream: you and Bucky and the dance that you never had. At least you can't remember dancing.

"Beatrice! Beatrice! I had that dream again…" You call for your nurse. You were diagnosed with some disease that you couldn't remember the name of in March of 1993. Beatrice was assigned to you. She was an older woman, mid fifties. She enjoyed listening to the stories you told, especially the ones about knowing Captain America. Beatrice was your best friend, because no one else was.

A younger nurse came in. "Do you need something, darling?"

"No, I was just wondering where Beatrice was."

The girl gave a sympathetic smile. "She retired, remember? She said goodbye to you and everything."

You rub your eyes. "How long ago was that?"

"Three years ago, ma'am." She patiently waits for you to get over the shock.

"Who do I tell stories to?"

"Well, you usually write them in that journal." She points to a small leather-bound journal and pen on the bedside table. "Would you like some water, ma'am?"

You nod and take the journal. You begin to write about the dream, and about Beatrice and how you missed her. Once finished, you flip through the previous entries, and stop. They were all the same.

You blink. You are sitting in a familiar hospital bed with a journal in your lap. You look at it blankly, and put it on the bedside table. You reach for a glass of water that has appeared on the table.

"Miss l/n? Someone is here to visit you." A young nurse comes in the room with a man. The man pulled his hood back when he stepped into the room. He had long, brown hair that hung in his face. Even when the nurse left, he continued to stand in the doorway, staring at you.

"Umm, hello there, sir? Can I help you?" You ask cautiously. The man walks over to the bed and pulls up a chair to sit in. He pushes his hair back and looks you right in the eye.

"Do you remember me?"

His face. It looks so familiar. Why? You squint at him, trying to place that familiar jaw line, the eyes, the slight scruff on the face. It clicks.

"Bucky?"

A smile plays on the man's lips. He nods. "Yeah, it's me, y/n. I found you."

Tears well up in your eyes as you cover your mouth in shock. "Oh my god, I can't believe it! Why do you still look so young? Goodness gracious, I could be your grandmother now!" Bucky chuckles at that. He touches your hand with his gloved hand. You wipe away tears, laughing. "Let me up, I haven't walked in ages."

Bucky stands and helps you out of the bed. He guides you to a table next to a window and pulls the chair out for you. You thank him and he goes to sit across from you. You reach for his hands, and he takes them.

"Bucky, I—"

You blink. You're sitting at the table next to the window. You look down. You're holding someone's hands.

"Oh, goodness! I'm so sorry…" You trail off, looking at the stranger. He had long, brown hair that was pushed out of his face. He looks confused. You try to place the familiar face. It clicks.

"Bucky?"

His expression shows concern. "Yeah, it's me, Bucky." You wipe tears off your face, confused. You didn't even know you were crying. He is still staring at you.

You smile and laugh. "Wow, I haven't seen you in a while. I could be your grandmother! How did you not grow old?"

He smiles faintly and quickly excuses himself from the room. You watch as he walks up to a young nurse and asks something. The girl looks at you, and tells him something. Bucky is silent after that. The nurse looks like she is reassuring him, but he waves her off and walks back in the room.

You blink. You're sitting at the table next to the window. Someone is sitting across from you. He's crying.

"Are you okay, sir?" He looks up at you. His smile wavers. He wipes at some tears.

"Yeah…it's just been a tough day." His shoulder-length brown hair falls into his face. That face looks familiar. It's the man from her dream. What was is name…?

"Bucky? Is that you?"

More tears fall from his cheeks as he nods. "Yes, y/n, it's me, Bucky. You remember me."

You wipe tears from your face. How long have you been crying? "Well of course I remember you. How could I forget?"

He slams his fist on the table, causing you to jump. "That's the point! You can't remember!" He covers his face with his hands, shoulders shaking.

You look at Bucky curiously. "I don't forget everything. I know the date is March 27, 1993. The same day I was diagnosed with… something."

Bucky uncovers his face. "Y/n, it's 2014. It's been 21 years since you were diagnosed." You stare at him.

"No… I couldn't have been in here that long! That's just not it. Beatrice! Where are you?" You call for your nurse frantically, wanting answers.

A young nurse comes in. "Do you need something, Miss l/n?"

"Yes, where's Beatrice? I need some answers from her."

"Ma'am, Nurse Sterling has not been here for three years. She said goodbye to you and everything."

A chill is sent down your spine. How can this be happening? All of these years have gone by, and you can't remember them? Thoughts whirl in your mind. You're panicking. You push a hand through your hair. When did your hair turn white?

Someone is kneeling in front of you. Bucky. Bucky is here. When you have nothing, you still have Bucky. His eyes are red. He's holding your hands. He's talking to you, but you cannot make out the words. He touches your cheek and wipes a tear away.

The nurse has left. Bucky has helped you back into your bed. He is still holding your hand. Both of you are silent, just looking at each other. You break the quiet. "Did I ever tell you I love you?"

He plays with your hands before he answers. "No, I don't think you ever did."

"Oh." More silence. "I keep having the same dream every single night. It never has an ending. Did you ever get that dance?"

He looks at you with an expression. You read it as heartbreak. "Yes, y/n. We did dance. That was my last dance."

You yawn, limbs slowly going limp. He kisses your forehead as you settle between the sheets. You watch him write something in a journal on the bedside table. You smile at him when he's done, and he smiles back.

"I hope I don't forget this."

Bucky's smile fades. "I hope you don't either. And if you do, I'll remember for you." He stays with you until you fall asleep.

You wake up to a familiar hospital bed. It's always that dream: you and Bucky and the dance that you never had. At least you can't remember dancing.

"Beatrice! I had that dream again…" You notice a journal on the table next to your bed. You decide to write down your thoughts in that. You open to a page that someone else had written in. It read "Remember me?"

You stare at it, confused. You continue to the next page to write about your dream with that dance you never had.

"did we ever get that dance?"


End file.
